


here and now

by metanoias



Category: Yuri!!! on Ice (Anime)
Genre: Fluff, Love Confessions, M/M, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, Victor is precious, Yuuri is precious, figure skating, he just wants to shower Yuuri with affection
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-10-10
Updated: 2016-10-10
Packaged: 2018-08-21 18:34:45
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,443
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8256134
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/metanoias/pseuds/metanoias
Summary: We move together in the spaces between sound, where time cannot bind us and our bodies speak the language of our souls.





	

**Author's Note:**

> for Lauren.

The sharp song of the ice as it was carved by his blades. The cool air in his nostrils and lungs. The rush of gliding, floating, _flying_ , across the white expanse. The music soaring around him. The relentless pounding of his heart. All combined into one glorious symphony, a hymn echoing the joyous refrain: _I am alive, alive, alive._

Yuuri lived for these moments. On the ice, he was no longer an anxiety-ridden, self-loathing mess with a weakness for pork cutlet bowls and an intense fear of the future.  He simply _was,_ in a way that he couldn’t fully explain. He was, and as he picked up speed, arms fluid, heart light, he was okay.

And Victor, with his brilliant sunbirth smile and shining blue eyes, watching his every move with pride and an unshakeable belief, understood better than anyone else.   _Skate with me,_ he had teasingly implored the other at the end of practice, playful smirk on his lips betraying his absolute certainty that Yuuri would agree. Which he did, because his will was weak when it came to a lot of things, but most especially anything Victor wanted. But that was okay, because Victor was weak for him too. 

Part of Yuuri was still amazed by the current situation—for nearly as long as he could remember he had dreamed of what it would be like to skate alongside his idol, and now, as their skates moved in tandem to the new routine, he could scarcely believe it was real. But when the Russian met his gaze for a brief instant before launching into a difficult triple axel—double toe loop jump combination, Yuuri felt the warm assurance that this was indeed happening. Victor’s face looked so peaceful and vulnerable, a stark contrast from the usual champion’s confidence he displayed to the world.  Poise was replaced with pure, unadulterated joy, and Yuuri’s breath caught in his throat as he witnessed the radiant being before him.

 _It was a privilege to see him like this._ Time and trust had allowed Yuuri to replace his childhood ideal of Victor with the unguarded, brilliant, infuriating human he truly was.  He was cocky, and smart. Far too aware of his own good looks. Seemingly cruel: pushing Yuuri to his absolute limits and then beyond every single practice.

 But Victor was also kind. He gave compliments and praise just as freely as his criticism, if not more. He was exceedingly affectionate, always finding excuses to wrap his arms around Yuuri or ruffle his raven hair. With every success and failure, every blister and twisted ankle, the two found themselves growing closer together. Slowly, tenderly. And slowly, tenderly, Yuuri fell for with the ridiculously talented man who loved dogs and flowers, took his tea with three spoons of sugar, hummed when he was nervous, and unabashedly hogged all of the covers on the bed.

It was rare and beautiful, this gift between them.

Resounding music became their medium, rich in vibrant colors and glowing emotions, as they transformed themselves into living art on the glimmering ice.  Victor moved with a deadly, captivating grace, and Yuuri with the same sincerity and exuberance that had taken the other’s breath away the first time he had watched the viral video of his routine.

There was something so special about Yuuri’s skating, so pure. Something that Victor wanted more than anything to nurture and protect, the same way he wished to care for Yuuri himself.  Was it fate, or chance that had brought them together all those months ago? Neither knew for sure, but both were immensely grateful to whatever force had guided them to this very moment, this perfect, fleeting here and now.

They spun, reveling in the way the world turned fast and bright, before skating near to each other, a delicate push-pull in each step.  Every breath and carefully planned movement, each extension of the arms or legs, spoke ecstasy and fearlessness. Yuuri felt like laughing or singing or crying, or maybe all three at once.

_We move together in the spaces between sound, where time cannot bind us and our bodies speak the language of our souls._

Victor squeezed his hand in a rare moment of vulnerability, and something in Yuuri’s heart broke with the beauty of it all. Not for the first time, he wished to protect Victor, shield him from anything that would hurt him, anything that would seek to destroy his most luminous spirit. How strange, wishing to protect a champion, who had already held the world in his hands! Yuuri supposed love had never made much sense.

Because that was what this was, wasn't it? There was no other word to describe the constriction in his chest whenever Victor smiled, the sweet agony of being around someone who was like the sun. Of wanting to give them the entire universe.

  As the music slowed towards its inevitable end, Victor recognized the familiar worried frown returning to Yuuri’s face. He drew close to him again, reaching out to grasp Yuuri’s gloved hand in his own as they glided around the perimeter of the rink. _Stay here, with me._  If only he could find a way to keep his love in this moment forever, this place where his worries and stresses could not find him.  But as much as Victor treasured the carefree Yuuri, he cherished the adorable, squishy stress ball Yuuri just as much. He only hoped that one day Yuuri would believe in himself as much as he believed in him.  Didn’t he realize he was so much more than his failed performance? Didn’t he know he was destined to set the world on fire?

The music stopped, the rink quiet with the exception of their blades on the ice. Victor pulled Yuuri to his chest, holding him in the silence.  Arms reached up to embrace him, and both felt the other’s racing heartbeat through the layers of sweatshirts and jackets.  

Taking Yuuri’s face in his hands, Victor covered him in kisses, mumbling tender _dorogoy_ , and _Ty takoy_ _chudesnyy, lyubov' moya, luchik moy_ between each one.  Yuuri understood just enough Russian to feel warm light blooming inside him, as silver hair tickled his blushing cheeks.  

 

☆.。.:*・°☆.。.:*・°

Later that evening, all was sleepysweet and warm as Victor carefully brushed his hair in front of the crackling fireplace in the lounge area of his family’s resort.  Yuuri sighed, leaning back into the slender fingers that so gently and expertly removed the tangles from his hair, still a little damp from the bath.

Everything was perfect, except for one nagging doubt that refused to give him any peace.  Yuuri stubbornly tried to ignore it, cursing his stupid brain that was actively trying to ruin an otherwise wonderful moment with Victor.

“Victor…” he began quietly, half-hoping he wouldn’t hear.

But he did, of course.

“Hmm?”

“Why did you—I mean, how—I mean, you don’t have to-“ Yuuri mentally facepalmed, cheeks burning, and tried again. “You don’t have to do this for me, you know. You’re such a brilliant skater, you shouldn’t be wasting your time on me when you could still be competing.”

The fingers ceased their ministrations, and Yuuri froze, afraid he’d said something wrong. He couldn’t force himself to turn around to see Victor’s expression.

Victor paused, unsure of how to best express what he needed to say. It broke his heart that Yuuri still thought so little of himself. How could he possibly hope to tell him why he stayed? How could he explain that what had started as a mere fascination with a brilliant rendition of his routine had developed into so much more? How could he tell him that spending time with him made him feel the kind of whole and happy that before only skating could give him? That he was Yuuri’s from the moment he had shyly smiled at him from across the ice after skating so beautifully that Victor’s very soul sang, recognizing a kindred spirit? That Yuuri’s unbreakable determination, his free kindness towards everyone he met, his clumsy gentleness, made him ache like nothing else ever could? Victor decided to keep it simple.

“I love you, Yuuri.”

“Oh.” _Oh._  Yuuri finally turned to meet his gaze, cheeks pink, eyes brighter than a million stars, hope blooming in all of the dark and frightened parts of him, before gently lifting his hand to brush a stray lock of silver out of Victor’s face.

“Victor, I- I love you too.”

 

_And when our bodies paint the earth in shades of hope all is cool and quiet like ice except for you. You showed me what it means to be alive._

**Author's Note:**

> Dorogoy (дорогой) – darling  
> Ty takoy chudesny (Ты такой чудесный) – You are wonderful  
> Lyubov' moya (любовь моя) – my love  
> Luchik moy (Лучик мой) – my sunbeam/ little ray of light 
> 
>  
> 
> thank you so much for reading!i hope you have a beautiful day :) i know that there has only been one episode, but this show and these characters have already captured my heart (and possibly ruined my life). Special thanks to The_Last_American_Virgin for helping me to fix the Russian :) also, if you have any spare time, this video : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dKDL-4qUp-4 made me feel things too big to name and may or may not have inspired this fic :) the original footage is from Endless Night by Sayo Yamamoto, who is directing Yuri on Ice.


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